Week 5 EOC: Legal Challenges with Modern Internet

With the birth of the internet we as people have been faced with some major challenges. Three challenges that we are facing today are: privacy, copyright laws, and piracy. 

Privacy:
"The Challenge: Now more than ever, we share much of our private lives through online networks like Facebook and Twitter. We also choose to store more and more of our digital data in the cloud or on our cellphones. While information collected about our digital preferences can personalize the Internet for each of us, there is the concern that our data could be harvested and sold like crops or even used against us." (1) This problem is just on the rise and will continue to be grow. With all of the social media sites, people just want to share everything with everyone, although you can set you profiles to private, how private is it really? The increase of online shopping and digital banking has also begun to create issues that we didn't have before or not as much. People have begun to put extremely sensitive information on the web such as, social security numbers, birth dates, and credit card numbers. This information can literally ruin a persons life but yet it's an ever growing trend to shop online. Plus with our technology becoming more advanced banks are starting to become digital with robotic bankers. In order to reduce this problem we need to come up with some better privacy laws that will protect the people because if the problem gets worse people aren't going to want to keep finding ways to advance technology. It's has also been said that "text messaging and email are rapidly taking the place of voice calls as the communications means of choice; however, it's not settled whether the Fourth Amendment's privacy protection extend to these modern communications. If the Fourth Amendment does apply, the government may not obtain those communications without a warrant." (3)

Modernizing Copyright Laws:
"The Internet’s power as a medium through which creators can distribute their work continues to grow, yet the current copyright laws are hopelessly out of date. For the Internet to fulfill its potential, new and modernized copyright laws must reflect the current relationship between technology and creativity." (2) Copyright laws really need to become more detailed about what is right and wrong when dealing with the internet. The laws we have right now are kind of still lost in the past when there was little to no internet. Back in the day there probably wasn't to much plagrism or stealing of digital work such as pictures. Now there is so the government needs to address like how many words or sentences have to had been copied in order to be considered of breaking the law, and maybe even consequences for rather you knew you were stealing copyrighted work or not. 

(4)
Piracy:Another problem we are faced with is the increase of piracy. Piracy effects the economy, jobs, and it messes with working people's money. The picture shown informs readers of the statistics for the problems the piracy beings to us. This issue will only continue to grow as the internet becomes even more popular, and as people find more ways to link information.














Citations: 

1) The Internet's Top 5 Challenges In The Next 5 Years: IADAS. Retrieved on October 31, 2013 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/20/top-5-challenges-facing-the-internet_n_809146.html#s223340title=Protecting_Privacy

2) Webby Judges Identify Top Challenges of the Internet.  Retrieved on October 31, 2013 from http://www.webbyawards.com/press/next5.php

3) 5 Issues That Will Shape the Internet's Future. Retrieved on October 31, 2013 from http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Media/top-issues-shape-internets-future/t/story?id=10800442

4) Online Piracy in Numbers- Facts and Statistics. Retrieved on October 31, 2013 from http://www.go-gulf.com/blog/online-piracy/

Week 4 EOC: Copyrights

What is a copyright?

Copyright is a way that the government allows an individual to protect his/her work from being copied or stolen. Although a work is automatically copyrighted as soon as it has been created you must claim it as yours otherwise anyone can still take it for themselves. You can either show it visibly such as a watermark or put the copyright where it cannot be seen, as long as it has been copyrighted with your name or company so that you can prove it is your original work. "In the United States, the owner of a copyright enjoys the ability of blocking the unauthorized copying or public performance of a work protected by copyright. Depending on how old a work is, whether or not copyright was renewed, when the work was published (if at all), and whether or not it is a work for hire, the U.S. copyright term for a work may be 28 years, 56 years, the life of the author plus 50 years, 75 years from the publication date, or 100 years from the date of creation. The reader will appreciate that these terms are much longer than the 17-year or 20-year term of a U.S. utility patent." (1)

This photo shows a list of items that can and cannot be copyrighted. (2) "Copyright protects the particular way authors have expressed themselves. It does not extend to any ideas, systems, or factual information conveyed in a work." (4)

How do you protect yourself?

First off how to protect yourself from others trying to claim your work: To be safe you should always copyright your work. If you don't then anyone can use it and even make profit from it and you are entitled to none of the earnings because you didn't copyright the work as yours. Next, if you are the one trying to use a work that is not your own, you could be committing Copyright Infringement. Copyright Infringement is "In utilizing any of the exclusive rights provided to the copyright holder without his permission, you may be violating or infringing on his rights under the Copyright Act. If the copyright holder has registered the infringed work with the U.S. Copyright Office prior to the infringement, the copyright holder may be entitled to compensation for his loss. Compensation may include damages, such as lost profits from the infringing activity, or statutory damages ranging from $250 to $150,000 for each infringing copy if the court feels that the infringement was committed 'willfully.'" (3) If you want to use a certain work, but you are unsure if it has been copyrighted, just do the research to find out who is the owner of the work. "The safest course is to get permission from the copyright owner before using copyrighted material. The Copyright Office cannot give this permission." (4)

Citations:

1) General Information about Copyright. Retrieved on October 24, 2013 from http://www.oppedahl.com/copyrights/

2) Copyright Basics: What is Copyright Law? Retrieved on October 24, 2013 from http://www.copyright.com/Services/copyrightoncampus/basics/law_protected.html

3) Copyright Infringement. Retrieved on October 24, 2013 from http://www.copyright.com/content/cc3/en/toolbar/education/get-the-facts/copyright_infringement.html

4) U.S. Copyright Office- Fair Use. Retrieved on October 24, 2013 from http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html

Week 3 EOC: Erin Brockovich

"A lawsuit by residents alleging that PG&E had dumped cooling water from a natural gas compression plant south of town into unlined ponds. The waste, laden with toxic chromium-6, contaminated Hinkley’s wells, and the suit blamed the company for widespread cancer and autoimmune disease."(1) This case came to light by Erin Brockovich who was working with a small law firm. The people in this small town thought that their sicknesses were just from bad health choices, up until Brockovich realized that PG&E was actually causing these sicknesses and were fully aware of it. PG&E informed the residence that the waste they were releasing was healthy for you and would not harm you, they also were really interested in buying all of their land without them knowing about this toxic chemical. Erin Brockovich was able to fight for these residents and "the giant utility to pay $333 million in an out-of-court settlement to about 650 residents over the town's bad water."(2) The people finally got their justice and were able to pay for their health expenses and protect their families, or so they thought. "It turns out despite the settlement and the lawsuit, Hikley's water problem never got fixed. In fact, accordng to the Lahontan Water Board, the area of chromium-6 contamination has grown in recent year."(3) It is great that Erin was able to get PG&E to increase the settlement, because it was obviously a foolish deal especially when it has to be divided between so many people. I know that the people and PG&E were able to make an out of court agreement but from what was recently discovered I believe that the people of Hikley should definitely try and sue the company now, because it doesn't seem like they learned their lesson or even care that they are potential killing people. You would think that since the public knows that PG&E is aware of the problem that they would try to be more careful with what they do with their waste.

Citations:

1) Hinkley: Erin Brockovich feels duped by PG&E. Retrieved on October 17,2013 from http://www.sbsun.com/general-news/20130709/hinkley-erin-brockovich-feels-duped-by-pge

2) In Hinkley, Toxic Legacy Sets the Stage for a Ghost Town. Retrieved on October 17, 2013 from http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201304020850/b

3) California Waste Water: Erin Brockovich Still Fighting for Neighbors Over Contaminated Drinking Water. Retrieved on October 17, 2013 from http://abcnews.go.com/US/erin-brockovich-fighting-neighbors-toxic-drinking-water/t/story?id=15120603

Week 2 EOC: Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court just started its 2013-2014 term on October 7, 2013 which was the first Monday of October. “The United States Supreme Court consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight associate justices. At its discretion, and within certain guidelines established by Congress, the Supreme Court each year hears a limited number of the cases it is asked to decide. Those cases may begin in the federal or state courts, and they usually involve important questions about the Constitution or federal law.”(1) With so many issues on the docket one of the major issues that the Supreme Court will be faced with this term will be cases that deal with the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."(2) It is really hard to determine the outcome of a case when dealing with this amendment, because it all depends on how you interpret it. There are many cases where individuals or corporations do a "crime" and they will fight that they are protected under the First Amendment. An incident that happened that dealt with the First Amendment was in 2011. A man named Xavier Alvarez lied about being awarded the Medal of Honor and being a retiree from the Marines after 25 years of service. He was criminally convicted and sentenced to probation. "Alvarez filed a motion to dismiss the indictment, attacking the constitutionality of the Stolen Valor Act; he asserted that the Act was unconstitutional both as written and as applied to him under the First Amendment. The district court denied his motion and sentenced him to probation for three years, 416 hours of community service, and a fine of $5000. Alvarez conditionally pled guilty to the first count and appealed the First Amendment issue to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit."(3) All thought Alvarez didn't feel he did anything wrong I definitely thought he did. Military personnel earn all of the benefits that they received and it is unfair that he thought that he could just disrespect that right. Although the First Amendment doesn't say that you can't lie, I think that when I deals with the "Stolen Valor Act" there should be an exception because that's kind of like faking your identity, which is considered a crime. 

Citations:

1) U.S. Constitution- Amendment 1. Retrieved on October 10, 2013 from http://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_Am1.html

2) United States v. Alvarez. Retrieved on October 10, 2013 from http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/cert/11-210 

3) Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved on October 10, 2013 from http://www.uscourts.gov/FederalCourts/UnderstandingtheFederalCourts/SupremeCourt.aspx

Week 1 EOC: My Voice

What is fashion? Well many people may just say clothing, shoes, or accessories, but fashion is more than that. As a creator within this field I have interpret my own meaning of fashion. Fashion is the power to say or feel without words. It’s the first impressions when you are seen across the room or through a window of a restaurant. It’s how you are able to portray your feelings or mood. It’s confidence, personality, creativity, and it’s your voice without the motion of your mouth, eyes, or hands. It should be considered a form of body language since, just by looking, you are able to see how a person is feeling today: timid, shy, confident, excited, serious, depressed, sexy, daring. As a shy person I have always used fashion as a way to show my personality and to stand out. It helps me speak without the use of words. Fashion…although it does deals with clothing, shoes, and accessories it has a much deeper meaning, that only a few can see, and I am proud to be a part of that few. But most of all I am proud to be able to inspire and help contribute to this powerful form of voice.